Little League Cheaters Go to Court Over Loss of National Championship

Months after Little League International stripped Jackie Robinson West of its national title after questions were raised about cheating, the South Side team demands answers of its own with a court petition.

On Wednesday, leaders of Jackie Robinson West filed papers in Cook County Circuit Court in a bid to force the sport’s governing body to provide details about the investigation that led to the title being taken away, as well as suspensions for the team and its leaders.

Henderson Adam LLC represents JRW, and the law firm produced a 100-page report on Little League International’s investigation. Victor Henderson held a press conference in Chicago on Wednesday. Players clad in their yellow jerseys stood behind him.

» RELATED: Jackie Robinson West Little League Stripped of U.S. Title for Cheating

“Given the refusal by Little League to meet with JRW, its failure to provide notice and the opportunity to be heard, and its refusal to be transparent and provide material information regarding its decision to strip JRW of the title, JRW was compelled to file suit,” the report states.

Henderson believes illegal license plate searches were performed to suss out the residency of some players. The lawyer sought this information from the Illinois State Police but was denied.

Fingers were also pointed at Evergreen Park Little League officials who raised questions about the residency of JRW players and ultimately filed a formal complaint with Little League International after the team won the national championship and lost the Little League World Series championship game. JRW supporters, officials and parents maintain that racism motivated the complaint.

» RELATED: Death Threats for Little League Official Who Reported JRW

At Wednesday’s press conference, Henderson said Little League International did not follow its own rules in investigating Jackie Robinson West and was unfair in its application of punishment.

“We’re not here to tell you that there were no mistakes made,” Henderson said. “We want to make sure that when mistakes are made, we’re being treated like everybody else according to the rules.”

A spokesman for Little League International, Brian McClintock, issued a statement in response to the filing of the lawsuit.

“All 152 teams participating in the 16 Little League Baseball Regional Tournaments in 2014 underwent the same eligibility verification process. ... Ultimately, the Little League Charter/Tournament Committee found that Jackie Robinson West League violated Little League regulations by falsifying portions of its Tournament Eligibility Affidavit, and used past-precedent in determining the disciplinary action ... Little League is rooted in fair play, and we appreciate that during the public announcement counsel acknowledged that Jackie Robinson West made mistakes.”

Notably absent from the press conference was DNAInfo Chicago reporter Mark Konkol, who in a series of stories unearthed evidence that Jackie Robinson West Little League skirted residency rules for several players and remade boundary maps to extend its territory into the domains of neighboring leagues without proper consent.

Konkol was barred from entering the press conference by security.

“Apparently, having the guy on the premises who broke the news that Jackie Robinson West leaders schemed to stack their team with suburban ringers in an attempt to win the Little League World Series was still too close for comfort,” Konkol wrote on Wednesday. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that Jackie Robinson West’s legal and public relations teams probably didn’t want to be pestered with questions from the only reporter who was at the Chicago Hilton on South Michigan Avenue in January.

“That’s when Little League officials had shoved in their face the hard truths of what JRW adults had been up to, leaving Little League International no choice but to strip the title from the kids.”

» RELATED: Evergreen Park Coach Says He Did ‘The Right Thing’

In February, Little League International officials took away the national title, barred coach Darold Butler from all Little League activity and removed Illinois District 4 Administrator Michael Kelly. Little League International also decided Bill Haley could no longer lead the organization founded by his late father.

“What these players accomplished on the field and the memories and lessons they have learned during the Little League World Series tournament is something the kids can be proud of, but it is unfortunate that the actions of adults have led to this outcome,” Little League International President and CEO Stephen D. Keener said in a statement at the time.

This year, Jackie Robinson West moved into the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken youth baseball league, though officials continue to deny that any rules were violated.

The Jackie Robinson West story, as reported by DNAinfo:

• Jackie Robinson West Broke Residency Rules, Suburban League Claims

• Jackie Robinson West Secretly Changed Boundary To Add Star Players: Sources

• Coach Who Claimed Jackie Robinson West Cheated Says He Has ‘No Regrets’